Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 2666 miles in 8 days, plus about 570 miles trailered back to Waco. Thanks again Dan, that ride back would have been miserable in the heat and wind of west Texas.
Started planning this on the FZ1OA board late last year, actually John (LicketySplit) from Austin on that board did all the planning and I just jumped on for the ride. Unfortunately, John didn’t recover properly (yet) from a crash in Arkansas and couldn’t make the trip. Because of that everyone else bailed too, but I had the time off and pre-prepared routes, so I was determined to make the trip. Since I was going alone, I also planned to camp several times, but I ended up just carrying that stuff around all week…showers and beds just felt too good after long days in the saddle. Maybe if I hadn’t been solo and had any real camping experience that would have worked out as well, oh well, maybe next time.
Anyway, I left Waco Saturday morning about 6:45 and settled in the Days Inn in Las Vegas NM about 12 hours later. Long, straight, and boring roads until the pass going into Las Vegas where I rain into a rain and thunder storm(video later, if I can figure that bit of witchcraft out). But previous to that, somewhere between Dimmit TX and Grady NM, I was making airplane motions w/my left hand, you know, like you did as a kid out the window of the car using the angle of your hand and the wind speed to make up and down waves. Looked down and on this long boring road I was now doing 115mph and had no sensation of going that fast at all.
Check into the hotel, unload way too many bags (camping equipment, remember?) and shower. Then the first bit of excitement, trying to unlock the second Givi pannier, the key breaks off in the lock. Nice, one open bag and one still locked w/no usable key. With some advice from some people on ADV and after an interesting dinner of chicken fried steak covered w/green chilies at the Hillcrest Restaurant, I manage to remove both latches, then the cylinders, and finally the tumblers from the cylinders. After several attempts to get it all back together, except the tumblers, I now have two useable side bags that latch but won’t lock. As an insurance policy, I use the small rox straps I had with me to make sure the bags don’t open going down the road. First crisis averted.
Here I am trying to figure out whether or not the gopro I decided to use for basically the first time is working or not. This will be a common site at the beginning of any videos I manage to upload.
And here’s the bike overloaded the first morning on the road in Las Vegas (2nd morning?) See the rox straps?
Started planning this on the FZ1OA board late last year, actually John (LicketySplit) from Austin on that board did all the planning and I just jumped on for the ride. Unfortunately, John didn’t recover properly (yet) from a crash in Arkansas and couldn’t make the trip. Because of that everyone else bailed too, but I had the time off and pre-prepared routes, so I was determined to make the trip. Since I was going alone, I also planned to camp several times, but I ended up just carrying that stuff around all week…showers and beds just felt too good after long days in the saddle. Maybe if I hadn’t been solo and had any real camping experience that would have worked out as well, oh well, maybe next time.
Anyway, I left Waco Saturday morning about 6:45 and settled in the Days Inn in Las Vegas NM about 12 hours later. Long, straight, and boring roads until the pass going into Las Vegas where I rain into a rain and thunder storm(video later, if I can figure that bit of witchcraft out). But previous to that, somewhere between Dimmit TX and Grady NM, I was making airplane motions w/my left hand, you know, like you did as a kid out the window of the car using the angle of your hand and the wind speed to make up and down waves. Looked down and on this long boring road I was now doing 115mph and had no sensation of going that fast at all.
Check into the hotel, unload way too many bags (camping equipment, remember?) and shower. Then the first bit of excitement, trying to unlock the second Givi pannier, the key breaks off in the lock. Nice, one open bag and one still locked w/no usable key. With some advice from some people on ADV and after an interesting dinner of chicken fried steak covered w/green chilies at the Hillcrest Restaurant, I manage to remove both latches, then the cylinders, and finally the tumblers from the cylinders. After several attempts to get it all back together, except the tumblers, I now have two useable side bags that latch but won’t lock. As an insurance policy, I use the small rox straps I had with me to make sure the bags don’t open going down the road. First crisis averted.
Here I am trying to figure out whether or not the gopro I decided to use for basically the first time is working or not. This will be a common site at the beginning of any videos I manage to upload.
And here’s the bike overloaded the first morning on the road in Las Vegas (2nd morning?) See the rox straps?
I look forward to the rest of the RR (even though I got a couple calls along the way). I'm so jealous. I wish my boss would let me get outta here.
